North Ohio Shops See Parts Delays Due to Demand

Auto body shops in the Cleveland area of Northeast Ohio are said to be facing overwhelming demands this winter. A Touch of Class Auto Body Inc. off Brookpark Road has a five-week wait list for new customers, and several other body shops around the Cleveland area are experiencing the same overwhelming demand.

“Any shop that’s doing this right now…I know no body likes to hear this, but any shop that’s doing any type of quality work we’re all so far behind it isn’t funny,” said Kevin Harrison, the owner of A Touch of Class. “It’s been so busy we actually put on a second shift of employees because the overload has been just five-weeks out all the time.”

Harrison said another factor is the demand for parts. “They’re having trouble getting parts from Columbus to Cleveland, Pittsburgh to Cleveland, so that delays us even more,” he explained.

“So sometimes you tell a customer a car will be done in two or three days, but the next thing you know it’s four or five days because we’re still waiting for parts.”